Middleware

IPTV vendors recognize small telco challenge

Dan O'Shea — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:49:10 -0400

Just about every vendor of telecom hardware or software has the common dream--sometimes realistic, sometimes not--of landing deployment deals with Tier 1 carriers like AT&T and Verizon Communications. Even some of the vendors who claim not to have this dream would completely change their models overnight if AT&T came calling. The market for IPTV gear has been no different, as developers of IPTV middleware and other technology have lined up to compete for business at the biggest telcos.

However, while a Tier 1 deployment can help make or break an IPTV technology vendor, so can the lack of anything else but a Tier 1 deployment. With the IPTV roll-outs by Tier 1 telcos now well in hand, many vendors are turning their attention toward smaller independent telcos. These companies represent a vast market of very small opportunities, and one-size-fits-all vendor approaches need not apply. That means adapting existing IPTV gear and software to the unique cost and scalability needs of the small guys. Vendors like Innovate Systems, Quative and Thomson are just of few of the vendors currently making the effort.

For more:
- see this report at Telephony

Related articles:
SureWest is one independent telco that is making IPTV work SureWest report
Canadian independent Bruce Telecom is an IPTV player worth watching Bruce Telecom report

180Squared Launches Mediaroom Interface

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:59:50 -0400

A team of former Microsoft Mediaroom engineers now known as 180Squared has announced the availability of 180Squared Framework, an encapsulation interface into Mediaroom middleware for existing billing/operational support system (B/OSS) applications and emerging third-party software. The company is leveraging expertise developed at Microsoft to now help carriers maximize the profitability of their Mediaroom service.

Key benefits of the 180Squared Framework include a standard interface for 180Squared and third-party application development, monitoring the health and traffic flow of Mediaroom services and applications to ensure proper load balancing and prevent service degradation, and reduction in capital expenses and operational costs for implementing Mediaroom.

180Squared cites a big market for their product, with global IPTV subscriber rates expected to reach over 72 million in 2011, while Bill Gates predicated Mediaroom would reach 1 million global subscribers in the first quarter of 2008 as service providers turn up two new Microsoft Mediaroom customer households every minute. 180Squared intends to cash in on this market by helping carriers with IPTV planning and design, customization, integration and their fancy new software.

For more:
- Find the original press release here.
- Play the "Top 4 Reasons for the 180Squared Framework" YouTube video here.

Related articles:
Mediaroom enters TV streaming war
Microsoft's new IPTV brand: Mediaroom

Mediaroom enters TV streaming war

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:59:50 -0400

Microsoft's next upgrade of its Mediaroom software will enable the fusion of live video and web streams to the TV. The "Milwaukee" upgrade is also promising improved personalization and recommendation options. On show at the IPTV World Forum last week the software is due to ship late summer. The major upgrade comes as operators rush to gain dominance as the critical home hub provider. At the same forum BT Vision announced it would be upgrading its service using the next generation Mediaroom platform

TiVo also announced a partnership with YouTube to enable the streaming of their massive library of user generated video to the TV using a new TiVo box. Apple earlier this year announced an upgrade for its Apple TV set top box which will also include the same ability to mix downloaded VOD content with streamed content from the Internet.

Remarkably there remains little consumer research on how audiences will use these fusion services, nor how best to structure the browser interface to optimize the consumer experience. Also uncertain is how consumers will respond to the inferior quality of online video when blown-up to a full wide-screen TV size.

YouTube has been recently experimenting with HD formats set for PC use. Last week YouTube also launched a white label API which enables publishers to embed video content using their own skin and specifications. The API threatens the many video providers that have grown by letting publishers manipulate their players. The service enables publishers and enterprises to effectively outsource the pain of video delivery to Google's robust video delivery infrastructure.

For more:
- Microsoft preps next generation Mediaroom Article
- TiVo and YouTube to deliver web video to the TV Article

Related articles:
Lounge room wars Article
Apple seeks control of the video home Article

Microsoft gets bumped by Alca-Lu and Telefonica

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:59:30 -0400

It is slightly old news but Microsoft's grip on the big European IPTV market is waning with Telecom Italia ditching Mediaroom in favor of Alcatel-Lucent's Spanish-developed middleware MiViewTV platform.

The MiViewTV platform was first developed in-house at Spain's Telefonica, a controlling shareholder of Telecom Italia. Then U.S.-based Lucent agreed to take over development and marketing of the platform in 2006 and to be Telefonica network integrator partner for its various IPTV plays. Alcatel and Lucent subsequently merged and worked with Telefonica to deploy the technology in each of Telefonica's IPTV plays. Aside from Spain these include Brazil, Chile, the Czech Republic and now Italy.

According to Light Reading Microsoft had been working for several years with the Italian incumbent as it prepared for deployment of its Alice Home IPTV service. But when Telefonica took control last year of the Italian incumbent it decided to harmonize with its other IPTV plays and Microsoft's technology was left in the labs.

Recently the French incumbent Orange announced it was sponsoring an alliance to develop and deploy a standardized middleware platform for all carriers to use. The move was seen as an attempt to stop Microsoft dominating the IPTV delivery. Many agree the middleware platform will be the key service platform for the expected suite of next generation broadband services.

At the IPTV world forum last week Japan electronics giant NEC showcased its new end-to-end IPTV platform and video delivery system for carriers using an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) architecture. The platform will work in conjunction with NEC's video-on-demand server. NEC is initially targeting IMS carriers, mostly in Asia where IMS is better accepted than in the U.S.

For more:
- Italians snub Microsoft Article
- NEC announces IPTV platform Release
- Alcatel-Lucent and NEC recently inked a joint development LTE deal Release

Related articles:
Telefonica and Telecom Italia are featured in our special review of the European IPTV market
French Challenge for Mediaroom Article

Middleware frustrations stymie HD rollout

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:59:10 -0400

A number of regional telcos are learning first hand about the pain of moving to HD. As the satellite and cable operators aggressively ramp up their HD offerings--although a rocket failure has delayed both EchoStar and now DirecTV's rollout timetable--the regional IPTV players are under pressure to match the HD offerings. But according to Telephony a number of regional IPTV operators in Minnesota were facing delays getting a HD service rolled out because they don't have the middleware upgrade. They use a Nokia Siemens provider, Myrio, for their middle ware.

How much is a middleware problem and how much a deployment and cost issue is hard to work out. To upgrade to HD requires a more sophisticated set top box with a bigger hard drive for the DVR and it is this upgrade cost which the smaller players are also struggling with. Myrio did not respond to our questions, but the marketing manager was quoted saying the carriers were learning just how complex IPTV was--a patronizing quote sure to endear the operators even more to the European software provider.

Over the winter there has been a sharp increase in the number of HD channels being offered by all providers, although in some cases it is still a pseudo HD rather than the real thing. This is especially so with some of the cable operators. Also contentious has been limitations on the U-verse service which currently allows for only one HD service to enter the home at any one time.

For more:
- Middleware snags delay HD rollout Telephony Article

Related articles:
Who has the most HD TV Article
SureWest recently launched a HD DVR Article

French challenge Microsoft

Tom Burton — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:59:40 -0500

France Telecom's Orange is leading a carrier coalition to establish a standard for the critical software that connects rich media devices to the home. The consortium is a direct challenge to the current market leader, Microsoft's Mediaroom. Mediaroom is the leading IPTV platform for home set top boxes and consoles and has been sold to 20 carriers globally seeking to deploy IPTV. The new consortium is to be known as Soft at Home and its stated aim is to "create and promote a software platform to simplify and accelerate the adoption of residential digital services."

Orange said it wants to create an industry standard and is proposing to sell down its shareholding to enable other carriers to be part of the consortium. Orange Labs director Georges Penalver told news services: "We are aiming to develop a standard for the industry. And our standards will respond better to the needs of telecoms operators than others. If we do nothing, we will face a segmented market with different standards in different countries and that would be an industrial waste."

Other parties to the consortium are Thomson and Sagem Communications. Both are current suppliers to Orange. Thomson supplies the Livebox home gateway and the SmartVision IPTV middleware. Sagem supplies IP set-top boxes for the carrier's IPTV service. Orange owns 60 percent of Soft at Home and the other two 20 percent each. The consortium will employ between 70 and 80 staff by the end of 2008 and says it has "a global development ambition, and is looking to rapidly welcome new partners into its capital."

France is the leading IPTV nation in the world with 1.3 million users. Orange's sponsorship of the carrier coalition comes as CE manufactures, software houses, computer vendors and game console makers are pushing to become the dominant platform for the delivery of internet and rich IP services to the home. Controlling this platform and the home hub is seen as critical for carriers if they want a share of the next generation services and not be left as a simple transport utility.

For more:
- Orange, Thomson and Sagem Communications are creating Soft At Home Release
- Soft At Home to give Microsoft Mediaroom a hard time Article

Related articles:
Lounge Room wars erupt Article
Apple seeks control of the video home Article

Set-top box sales top 100 million

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:59:20 -0500

Worldwide sales of digital TV set-top boxes broke through the 100-million barrier for the first time in 2007, according to Strategy Analytics' Connected Home Devices research report. The report found sales increased by 12 percent over the year, and reached 102.4 million units in 2007. The impending change from analog to digital television in the U.S. is expected to drive a big increase in STB numbers over the next few years. The report forecasts 2012 annual global sales of all digital TV set-top boxes will reach nearly 200 million units.

IPTV's market share rose sharply but off a low base up to 5.9%, compared to 3.6% in 2006. Cable's share also rose, to 36.2%, while satellite and terrestrial shares declined.

In regional terms the report expects the Asia-Pacific region to overtake North America and Europe in 2008 and to account for a third of this year's 129 million sales. "Sales of digital terrestrial TV boxes in Europe have now plateaued as consumers begin to transition to integrated digital TV sets, but this pattern is unlikely to prevent overall market growth across all platforms," Strategy Analytics' Director, Peter King said.

"The set-top box remains the key gateway to advanced , digital television services around the world," says David Mercer, Principal Analyst. "Added value services such as high definition TV, digital video recording and Internet video are all set to drive further growth in this strategically important sector."

For more:
- Strategy Analytics blog

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Dreampark secures Slovenian deal

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:59:20 -0500

Slovenian TUS TELEKOM, has selected Dreampark's Dreamgallery as the middleware for their Eastern European IPTV solution, confirming Dreampark's strength in the European middleware sector.

Dreampark is one of the leading IPTV middleware providers on the European market and its signature box the Dreamgallery is the most deployed IPTV middleware in Europe. Dreamgallery was developed early in the early IPTV deployment phase and is used by some of the world's first commercial IPTV deployments, including Canal Digital, Comvie, Dansk Bredbånd, FastTV, iVisjon, Smile Content and ViaSat.

"After an extensive period of testing and comparison with different IPTV middleware solutions, we selected Dreamgallery for our IPTV deployment," said Marc Witteveen, IPTV Project Manager at TUS TELEKOM. "We needed a middleware solution that would provide with the speed, flexibility and user-friendliness that we need to deploy quad play services throughout Slovenia and Dreamgallery really stood out in the competition."

For More:
- Dreampark press release

Related Articles:
- IPTV Middleware Subscribers Chart Report
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Five years of negotiation lands Microsoft $500M contract

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 06:59:40 -0500

Five years of discussions finally saw Indian communications giant Reliance sign up to Microsoft's IPTV software, MediaRoom for a cool $500 million.

The contract was an important win for Microsoft--CEO Steve Balmer flew to India for the ceremony--and comes as it has struggled to win acceptance for its IPTV software in the face of stiff competition. Microsoft may have some big name clients such as BT and Singtel, but after 10 years of investing in various flavors of TV software the sector still is strangely reluctant to embrace the PC giant.
So, too, it seems is Microsoft. It curiously had no exhibit at the recent TelcoTV event in Atlanta--instead it had an office in the back of the show--a fact widely noticed by several of the carriers shopping for new deployment infrastructure.

Reliance first announced its plans to hook up to 1.7 million business and residential buildings to its fiber access network back in 2003. Microsoft had been expected to win the Reliance deal after Reliance had trialled the Microsoft software in a 20,000 trial to test market acceptance. Broadband is still undeveloped in India with only 2.6 million connections in a population of over one billion.

For More:
- Light Reading Report
- R Com, Microsoft form JV on IPTV The Statesman
- Microsoft IPTV: At Long Last, Progress--BusinessWeek Report

Related Articles:
Microsoft's new IPTV brand: Mediaroom Report
SPOTLIGHT: India's public telco gets bullish on IPTV Report

IPTV Middleware Subscribers Chart

Mike Dolan — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:31:17 -0400

IPTV Middleware Subscribers